The children of Martin Luther King Jr. are engulfed in a legal battle over the Nobel Peace Prize won by the late civil rights icon and his personal bible, according to CBS News.
A complaint was filed against Bernice King on Friday in Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta. The lawsuit was filed by the estate of her father. Her father’s estate is controlled by brothers Martin Luther King III and Dexter King.
On Tuesday, Bernice said in a statement that her brothers want to sell their father’s personal bible and medal to a private buyer. She said that she is against the idea.
In 1995, the children signed over their rights to items inherited from their father. The items were signed over to the Estate of Martin Luther King Jr. Inc., according to the complaint. Bernice has said that the agreement is valid, but still will not hand over the bible of her father or his Noble Peace Prize, as noted by the complaint.
In her statement, Bernice said that her father “MUST be turning in his grave” at the thought of selling these items to a private buyer. She said they were his most prized possessions.
“While I love my brothers dearly, this latest decision by them is extremely troubling,” she said. “Not only am I appalled and utterly ashamed, I am frankly disappointed that they would even entertain the thought of selling these precious items. It reveals a desperation beyond comprehension.”
The complaint does not make any mention of selling the items. The estate is requesting that a judge force Bernice to hand over the items and to pay the legal fees associated with the lawsuit.